Pochettino real madrid

Santiago Solari on Tuesday (Nov 13) was confirmed as Real Madrid coach until 2021 following his successful spell in charge as caretaker boss of the European champions. Santiago Solari confirmed as Real Madrid coach until 2021. (Michal CIZEK/AFP) "Real Madrid's board of directors met today and decided to name Santiago Solari as first team coach until June 30, 2021," the club announced in a statement. Solari's anointment as sacked Julen Lopetegui's permanent successor comes after wins in his first four matches. And with 15 goals scored and only two conceded the 42-year-old Argentinian has established the best ever start for a Real manager. After thrashing Melilla in the Copa del Rey, they won 5-0 away to Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, between victories over Real Valladolid and Celta Vigo in La Liga. The upturn has left Madrid only four points adrift of league leaders Barcelona and on the brink of qualification for the last 16 in Europe. Solari was handed the reins on a … [Read more...] about Real Madrid confirm Solari as coach until 2021

Spanish press call for appointment of Santiago Solari as Real Madrid manager on permanent basis. (Photo: AFP/JOE KLAMAR) "Everything is in order. Real Madrid have worked out his contract and there are no problems," the Spanish football federation stated. Solari has led Real to four wins out of four since being installed on a caretaker basis following Lopetegui's abrupt sacking last month. And with 15 goals scored and only two conceded he has established the best ever start for a Real manager. After thrashing Melilla in the Copa del Rey, they won 5-0 away to Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, between victories over Real Valladolid and Celta Vigo in La Liga. The upturn has left Madrid only four points adrift of league leaders Barcelona and on the brink of qualification for the last 16 in Europe. Solari, who spent five years playing for Real, was promoted from his role in charge of Castilla, the club´s B team, after Lopetegui had overseen a miserable run that included just … [Read more...] about Real Madrid reward interim boss Solari with permanent contract

Real sacked coach Julen Lopetegui last week and Pochettino’s recent statement that he had his “worst feeling” at Tottenham in his four-and-a-half years at the club fuelled rumours that he could soon be on his way to Spain. On Thursday, the Argentine said he had no interest in the Real job and also attempted to dispel the notion that he was unhappy about the delay in the completion of Spurs’ new stadium. * Two times world champion Fernando Alonso suspects Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix may be his last real chance of adding to his career points tally before he leaves Formula One at the end of the month. Alonso has not been on the podium since he was at Ferrari in 2014 and points have been hard to come by since he joined McLaren in 2015 at the beginning of a failed partnership with Honda. * Guingamp, the bottom side in France's Ligue 1, have appointed Jocelyn Gourvennec as their new coach, the club said on Thursday. Guingamp sacked Antoine Kombouare on Wednesday … [Read more...] about Pochettino reaffirms Spurs commitment amid Real interest

Alvaro Odriozola has struggled since coming into the Madrid defence. (Photo: AFP/Ander Gillenea) Madrid have lost three and drawn one of their last four matches, and failed to score in any of those, which amounts to their longest goalless run since 1985. The European champions were hoping for a boost after slipping to a surprise 1-0 defeat to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, but Manu Garcia's 95th minute winner in Vitoria turned disappointment into disaster and after the match, Lopetegui was left to wave away questions about his future. Here, AFP Sport looks at five things going wrong at Madrid: QUALITY LACKING UP FRONT Losing a player who scored 30 goals for nine consecutive seasons would leave a gigantic hole for any team to fill but more surprising was Madrid's failure to buy an alternative to Cristiano Ronaldo. President Florentino Perez was keen on Eden Hazard in the summer but backed off, while interest in the likes of Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski also came to … [Read more...] about Five things going wrong at Real Madrid

Real Madrid on Tuesday (Jun 12) announced the appointment of Spain's Julen Lopetegui as their coach from next season, stunning the national team ahead of the start of the World Cup. Spain's coach Julen Lopetegui gives a thumb-up during a training session in Krasnodar Academy ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament. (Pierre-Philippe MARCOU/AFP) "Real Madrid announce that Julen Lopetegui will be the coach of the first team during the next three seasons," the Champions League winners said in a statement, adding that the 51-year-old "will join the club after Spain's participation in the World Cup". Lopetegui will replace Zinedine Zidane as coach at the Santiago Bernabeu, after the Frenchman quit on May 31 in the wake of their Champions League final win over Liverpool in Kiev. The news comes as a jolt for Spain, just three days before their opening game at the Russian World Cup against Iberian neighbours Portugal in Sochi. Lopetegui and the Spain squad are currently … [Read more...] about Spain coach Lopetegui to take Real Madrid job after World Cup